Meat Color

ANSC 3404

Meat Color Meat color is very important because it affectsconsumer purchase decisions Research continues to find ways to improvethe length of time a product stays bright redin the meat case The protein responsible for meat color ismyoglobin

Meat Color Dependent on Pigment content Ultimate pH and rate of pH decline postmortem Nature of group attached to the iron and the stateof the iron Ingredients, processing, packaging

Meat Color Pigment Content

Pigments Two main pigments: myoglobin and hemoglobin Majority of color is due to myoglobin

Myoglobin Accepts oxygen from hemoglobin Stores oxygen for use by the living muscle Contains a globin protein attached to aporphyrin ring containing a heme iron Nature of the group attached to the iron, andthe state (covalent or ionic) of the irondetermines meat color

DeoxymyoglobinDMb, Fe++No O2 present

+ O2

OxymyoglobinOMb, Fe++Atmospheric O2present

+ CO

CarboxymyoglobinCOMb, Fe++CO present

+ O2 e-

+ O2EnsymaticReduction(MRA)

- O2 e-

MetmyoglobinMMb, Fe+++Low O2 partialpressure

Deoxymyoglobin Occurs when no ligand present forbinding 6th site Heme Fe is Ferrous (Fe++) Uncut Meat Only water present to bind